Resurfacing work begins on M6 in Eden (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Resurfacing work begins on M6 in Eden

1:15pm Monday 11th March 2013 in News

ROAD maintenance work costing £755,000 has begun on the M6 near Penrith.

The Highways Agency says three projects around junctions 40 and 41 of the motorway are taking place over the next few weeks to 'tackle wear and tear'.

The work includes £166,000 of resurfacing work along the southbound carriageway north of Penrith which begins tonight (Monday).

Just over a mile of lane one of the carriageway is being resurfaced in work which will be completed by Saturday morning (March 16). All the work is being done overnight - between 8pm and 6am - and requires both lane one and lane two of the southbound carriageway to be closed while the work is taking place.

Drivers are also being advised that the southbound exit and entry sliproads at junction 41 will also be closed intermittently during the overnight roadworks but with advanced notice around the junction and clearly signed diversions in place.

A separate £281,000 project north of junction 41 along the northbound carriageway is also getting underway today.

The three week scheme involves resurfacing the hard shoulder as well as renewing road studs and white lining along the main carriageway along a two mile section of the northbound carriageway between Penrith and Southwaite Services. During the day work will only be done in the hard shoulder with a lane one closure in place for safety reasons. The carriageway stud and road marking renewal will be taking place overnight when traffic volumes are lowest and will require two lanes of the motorway to be closed at any given time.

To assist with holiday journeys no work will be taking place over the Easter period between Thursday, March 28, and Tuesday, April 2.

A third scheme around junction 40 of the motorway is starting next Monday (March 18) but will be completed by Thursday 28 March ahead of the Easter break.

This £308,000 scheme involves resurfacing the hard shoulder and lanes along about a mile and a half of the southbound carriageway south of Penrith near Clifton Services.

All the work will be done overnight between 8pm and 6am and will require lane and hard shoulder closures. One or two lanes, at times using the hard shoulder, will remain open to drivers during the work. Road markings and cat's eyes will also be renewed during the work.

Drivers are also being advised that the southbound entry slip road at junction 40 will also be closed intermittently during the overnight roadworks but with advanced notice around the junction and clearly signed diversions in place.

A 50 mph speed limit will be in place past all the roadworks for the safety of motorway users and road workers..

Highways Agency project sponsor Peter Gee said: ''All three of these projects involve routine maintenance to tackle wear and tear along sections of the M6 near Penrith and ensure that drivers can continue to enjoy safe, smooth and reliable journeys.

''We have timed the works to minimise inconvenience to road users.''